Kevin Joseph Mendibles, 37, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow for second-degree murder.
The court also ordered the defendant to pay $8,983.19 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on February 19 in Casper.
According to court documents, on February 25, 2024, the BIA Wind River Police Department was dispatched to a residence in Ethete for a woman who had been beaten badly and was barely breathing.
Upon arrival, officers found the victim in a room with multiple stab wounds, blunt force injuries, and lacerations.
When EMTs arrived, she had no pulse and was declared deceased.
The defendant was interviewed and initially denied involvement but stated the victim had given him a place to live.
In a follow-up interview, Mendibles admitted he killed the victim by beating and stabbing her. Mendibles was indicted on May 16, 2024, and pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.
